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Tucked away until you need it. Becksvoort built a platform to store perfectly between the legs of his bench. Limited by the clearance beneath the bottom rail of the bench, Becksvoort added a lift system under the platform. Once he pulls the platform out, he can add to its height by folding down hinged risers. Lower bench puts you on top of the work My workbench is 39 in. tall, which is great for the vast majority of my work, even a lot of planing tasks. However, when I need to plane or flatten an entire panel or when I want to sand or plane tabletops or large panels held vertically in the vise, a lower bench surface would really help. Since I can’t make my bench lower, I keep a 23⁄4-in. platform under it, fitted between the legs. I pull it out and stand on it, giving me a work surface that’s effectively 361⁄4 in. high. If that’s still too high, the platform has two hinged 3-in.-wide boards underneath that I can brace open with long spinners. Fold them down and the bench is 35 in. high, and I can really get into my work. When returning it to its home under the bench, I found that the platform tended to bind if not pushed in straight. So I added strips between the legs to assure that the platform slides in straight. If you have a European-style bench with sled feet, the guide strips won’t be necessary. If you want a platform the full length of your bench, you’ll have to store it elsewhere. The platform can be made out of leftovers or cheap wood and can be built in just over an hour. It’s an hour well spent, since it will make your work much easier. I also included a small nylon handle to make the platform easy to pull out. More height means more power. The platform allows Becksvoort to work at a height that’s most effective and ergonomic for planing a wide panel. 70 FINE woodworkIN g Photos: Michael Pekovich